Frostbitten
by GhostWriterGirl-1
Summary: There are two types of secrets. The kind you keep in, and the kind you don't dare let out. Nikki Winters moves away from her dark past to Amity Park. When Danny, Sam and Tucker discover her deadly secret and the psychopath pursuing her, will they help? Or will it put everyone in more danger? Everybody has a chapter in their lives that they don't read out loud. This is that chapter
1. Chapter 1

Hey there!  
I know you all are probably waiting for me to update another chapter of "Remember: The Story Of Ember McLain", "The Secret Trio One-Shot Series", "The Secret Trio: A Delusional Phantom" or "Danny Phantom And Storm Banshee-Season One(From The Very Beginning…", but I had the idea for this fanfic for a while now, so I hope you like it!  
No, I don't own Danny Phantom; that solely belongs to Butch Hartman. I only own this story and the OCs in it.

 ** _Frostbitten_**

 **Prologue**

Darkness. There was nothing but darkness.

I ran down the dim lit corridor, breathing heavily. My hair flew behind me as I continued to run, my thumping heart seemed to echo down the never-ending hall. My boots pounded against the hard concrete.

Then His voice pierced the stale air

"You can't run from me, Nicola. No matter how far you run, no matter where you hide, I will _always_ find you. Always."

His laughter reverberated throughout the hallway, His shadow slithered along the blackened wall. I could feel His breath on my neck, cold tendrils that snaked down and tightened around my lungs.

 _RUN_ , I screamed at myself.

Suddenly, the smell of something metallic, like rusty copper pennies, filled my nose. My feet flew out from under me, and I managed to catch myself with my hands before my face hit the floor.

Then I realized the floor shouldn't be this warm and... _wet_.

Blood. There was blood everywhere. Blood pooled on the concrete in shallow puddles. Staggering and trying not to take in anymore air, I pushed myself off the ground and took in my abhorrent surroundings.

Blood stained the walls of the corridor, coating them in a gruesome wallpaper, splattered across the ceiling and flowing in thick streams on the floor. Lying on the floor was a vaguely humanoid shape, blood covering it and coagulating, so it looked like it was a part of this gory blood-covered room.

I choked back a scream as I stepped back, feeling nauseous, one crimson hand clutching my stomach, the other clean hand covering my mouth. His laughter filled my ears and my face paled even further as I saw His figure curling against the furtherest wall, eyes glowing red.

"You can _never_ escape me, dear Nicola. I'll find you wherever you are. I will track you down, and I will get you. You can never run from me... and you certainly can't run from who you are.

"NO," I tried to scream at him, but it came out as a strangled moan. Stepping back even further, wanting to get away from this room, from Him, I ran in the opposite direction

His footsteps thundered behind me.

"No no no no-AHHHHHHH!"

My cries escalated into screams as I lost my footing, falling forwards into a dark, never ending pit. His laughter echoed above me as I continued to scream, free-falling into blackness. Rushing sounds, like a large circular waterfall, surrounded me, and the smell of rust returned with an overwhelming vengeance. My screams becoming louder and louder as I tumbled into darkness, His voice whispering through my ears.

"Keep on running, Nicola. In the end, I _will_ find you... and you _will_ succumb to who you really are."

"No!" I screamed, voice finally at full volume, my hair whipping wildly, cutting sharply into my face. Tears began pouring from my eyes and disappearing into my hair, as I continued to fall. It wasn't long until I could see a stone floor below me getting closer and closer... "No, no, no, no, no…"

…  
" _NO!_ " I screamed, jolting awake. I looked around wildly, seeing nothing but darkness at first until my eyes adjusted. Feeling the space around me, I slowly understood that I was still in my bedroom. Not being chased through a blood-filled hall.

A single tear brimmed, and I quickly wiped it away. If my mom came to check on me, I couldn't let her see me crying. Pulling the covers to me tightly, I hugged my legs. I was no stranger to nightmares, but this marked the twelfth consecutive night since they had started. Each time, they got a little more terrible. The emptiness, the blood, Him... it's a wonder I managed to get any sleep at all.

I never told my mother about the nightmares; she would think that He was using my dreams to find us. But I didn't think so. Fear had made itself at home inside my head, and after Alex… my subconscious mind was determined to make me more paranoid, and absolutely terrified of who I am.

 _In the end, I_ will _find you.. and you_ will _succumb to who you are_.

Closing my eyes, I told myself that was just the nightmare talking. But it felt real, like a promise. His voice always sounded more real in my nightmares. I wanted to believe that moving to this town, Amity Park, would mask our location with their ghost attacks and keep Him from looking for us here. I _hoped_ it would work, but my paranoia speaks for itself. We might last two months, possibly three.

Eventually, He would find us.

 _You_ will _succumb to who you are._

I buried my face into my pillow, wanting to block it out, but I couldn't. Those words always haunted me during the nightmares and afterwards; a constant buzzing in my head, reminding me that I wasn't as "in control" of myself as I wished I could be. He was determined to make me like him, to make me give in.

And I had. Once.

It tore me in so many directions that I questioned whether or not I still existed.

He said it would free me. Becoming what I was always meant to be would free me from the discomfort of trying to keep it at bay. He said I was denying myself true happiness and living. Even though it might seem like a huge mistake, if I gave in to it completely, it would become second nature and wouldn't seem like a mistake anymore. I wanted to bury that side of me. Lock it up in chains and melt the key. I could _never_ become that again. Not after Alex...

Who wants to become a monster?

 ** _Frostbitten_**

 **Chapter One**

I laid my head against the ice-cold window, our car speeding past the town's sign.

"WELCOME TO AMITY PARK! HERE, IT'S SAFE!"

What a load of rubbish.

I continued sulking as I gazed out the window, watching as other cars and buildings sped past, barely listening to the song that was playing on my phone through my earphones.

"Again, _why_ did we move here?" I asked sullenly. We had already been in this town for a few days, but it was a far cry from the warm ocean-side home I was used to. I had a lot to be moody about.

My mother, eyes fixed on the road ahead, answered, "You know why, Nikki."

I sighed and tore my eyes away from the window and leaned back against my seat, glaring.

"I know _why_ we had to move from Savannah, but did we have to move _here_?"

At that, my mother turned around to face me, an angry look in her eyes.

People say that I looked like my mother, but I couldn't really see the resemblance. My mother had dark golden blonde hair that fell in gentle waves around her face and down her back, even up in a high ponytail like now. Her sapphire-blue eyes reflected the bright sun. Warm, peachy skin was complimented by her white blouse and dark blue denim jacket. Her jeans were distressed and faded from the frequent wear they got. Tucked underneath her jeans she sported her tanned brown boots from our days living in Houston. Even in her casual clothes, she was absolutely stunning.

Me, I had golden brown hair that was determined to be forever rambunctiously curly, no matter how many times I straightened it. Emerald colored eyes that stood out too much for my taste against pale skin that would have put milk to shame. I typically wore the same outfit, since I spent a lot of time on the road. Ash-grey shirt, dark blue jeans that were frayed at the knees, black and white Converse sneakers, and my trademark olive-green bomber jacket with black accents.

People say that I am beautiful too, but compared to my mother, I was grungy and plain. That was okay. I knew that I could never be as beautiful as my mother. Good looks were never going to get a guy to like me – not that I _wanted_ a boyfriend. With my luck, he would have figured out my secret and turn me in. I knew my cynical personality and sarcastic remarks made it hard to figure me out, but don't guys like that?

"Nicola," Mom started, bringing me back from my thoughts. "Because of all of these ghost attacks. If He has heard about all of these hauntings in this town – and I doubt that He hasn't – then He would be smart enough to know to never come here, and that we wouldn't dare hide here. He will emnever/em suspect we're in Amity Park."

At the end of Mom's angry answer, her hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly, her knuckles were turning white, and a noticeable chill hung in the air at the mention of Him. I looked out the window uncomfortably, wincing a bit at the bright sunlight.

Why does it have to be so damn _bright_?

The rest of the drive continued on in silence, save for me listening to blaring music on my phone with my earphones, just watching the houses pass by in boredom, until one house caught my attention, however.

It was a simple two-storey house, painted red with black accents. On top of the roof was a mangled mess of blinking machinery and metal tubes. The front door opened, and three teens walked out, two boys and one girl.

The first boy had fair skin, disheveled black hair, and icy blue eyes. He wore a white T-shirt with a red oval in the centre, light blue jeans, and red and white sneakers. The other boy was African-American, with striking aqua-coloured eyes, and was wearing a yellow sweater, olive-green cargo shorts with a PDA tucked into a pocket, brown hiking boots, black-framed glasses and a red beret.

The girl of the trio was obviously a Goth, and had short, shiny black hair pulled into a half-up ponytail, amethyst-purple eyes, purple lipstick, heavy black eyeliner, and smoky black eyeshadow. It all stuck out against her pale skin, although her skin was definitely not close to my milky whiteness. She wore a black sleeveless shirt that exposed her midriff with a purple oval in the centre, a black knee-high skirt with a green cross-hatch pattern, purple leggings, black combat boots, a black bracelet on each wrist and a black choker.

They were the oddest trio of friends that I have ever seen, but there was an undeniable positive aura to them. As our car sped past them, I had a feeling in my gut that I would encounter them again.

I wonder if I could become friends with –

 _No,_ I thought. _You can't get close to people. And especially not after Alex.._

I shook my head, clearing it of dark thoughts, and as my mom continued to drive to our new house, my stomach rumbling faintly. No matter what, I was determined to not get attached to this place. When He finds us, it will uproot us and force Mom and I to move again.

And if I became friends with that trio and they found out my secret, well… there would be no need for Him to come to uproot us from our home.

I would have already been chased out of town.

Well… what do you think?

Hate it? Love it? Tell me so in your reviews!

What do you guys think of Nikki so far? In case you guys are wondering, this is not, and I repeat, this is NOT a DannyXOC story. Danny doesn't fall in love with Nikki, and Nikki doesn't fall in love with him. They'll be just friends. If there's _any_ romance in this story, it will be mentions of DannyXSam. That's all.

And Nikki will meet Danny, Sam and Tucker next chapter; I promise!

Thanks to the amazing Aurora Marie Williams for beta'ing this chapter!

See y'all next chapter; please read and review!

GhostWriterGirl out!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey!

Here is the chapter where Nikki will meet the Phantom Trio (Danny, Sam and Tucker)! I hope you like it!

No, I don't own Danny Phantom. That belongs to Butch Hartman. I only own this story, Nikki and her mother.

 ** _Frostbitten_**

Chapter Two: New Girl

The sunlight was what woke me up.

I blearily opened my eyes, before squinting them shut. My mother had opened the curtains a bit, letting in bars of bright, golden sunlight into my room.

If that was her plan to wake me up on my first day of school... she had another thing coming.

I groaned and buried my face into my pillow, trying to block out the much hated rays and fall back asleep. There was a total of two minutes before I gave up on sleeping again and decided to get ready for school. I flung the covers off me and slid out of bed, trudging towards the adjoining bathroom.

My reflection in the mirror caught my eye. I looked like a zombie.

My hair was sticking up all over the place, even more wild and curly than usual. My emerald-green eyes were contrasted by bright red. That and the puffiness was a sign that my nightmare affected more than I thought. My pyjamas were rumpled, tears had left small trails on my cheeks, and I had some new designer bags under my eyes.

Could be worse.

I turned the tap on and cold, clear water rushed out of the faucet into the sink. I splashed my face with the icy water, relishing in the sharp chill. When I was sure the tear stains were gone, I turned the tap off, walked out of the bathroom and my bedroom, and headed down the stairs.

On the way down, I heard a low humming. As soon as I had arrived at the bottom of the stairs, I headed towards the kitchen, where I half-smiled at seeing the source of the humming.

My mother was at the stovetop, wearing a crisp,yellow blouse and blue denim jeans, humming to her herself. Her golden blonde hair tied in ponytail swayed as she flipped the bacon in the frying pan. On the bench behind her was a plate with scrambled eggs, toast and bacon on it, a knife and fork beside it. It had been a while since Mom had cooked for us.

"Morning, Mom," I greeted as I walked into the kitchen, tucking a curly strand behind my ear as I sat down on the stool.

"Morning, sweetheart," Mom greeted back, smiling at me as she turned around and slid the bacon onto a paper towel to drain the oil from it, walking over to me to give me a kiss on the forehead as I ate the toast on the already-made plate.

"How did you sleep last night?" Mom asked me, picking up the bacon with tongs and placing it onto her own plate.

I tensed a bit, remembering my distressed appearance due to my nightmare. "Pretty good," I shrugged.

Mom laughed lightly and brought her breakfast (a ham and spinach omelet with bacon and toast) over to the bench and sat down beside me.

Whenever she laughed, it sounded like honey, but whenever _I_ laughed (and that was on a rare occasion), it sounded sharp and piercing, like breaking glass.

"I believe that. When I came to check on you, you were sleeping like the dead!"

"Really?"

"Really; your snoring woke me up."

I smiled – I don't snore – ducking my head down a bit so that she didn't see the eye bags, continuing to wolf down my food.

My mother was a brilliant cook; she could be a private chef, she was that good. Me, on the other hand, I couldn't cook to save my life. The last time I did, I nearly sent my Home Ed teacher to hospital from food poisoning. After that, my mother decided to tell the principals of every new school I went to that I was banned from cooking (which was fine by me).

Mom seemed to read my mind about school.

"Are you looking forward to your new school, honey?" she asked me, eating her breakfast at a much slower pace than me.

I swallowed and answered, "I'll tell you when I survive the first day, or if the principal hasn't called you because I got into trouble for starting a fight."

My mom sighed exasperatedly, rubbing her temples.

"Nikki, can you at least _act_ a _little_ happy? And _try_ not to get into trouble on your first day of school?"

"Every school has a queen bee. Not my fault that she hasn't had someone put her in her place. Besides, I'm a magnet for trouble." I looked out of the corner of eye at Mom. "You should be happy that I'm not a _boy magnet_."

My mom gave a look to the ceiling, as if saying, _Give me strength._

"Please, Nikki, don't make this any harder on me. Not only do I have to finish enrolling you into Casper High, but I've also got to get to a job interview, and finish unpacking, and…"

My mom trailed off, burying her face into her hands, her fork clattering against her plate. I looked down guiltily, not feeling hungry anymore. I didn't want to make my mom feel bad; I hated when I did that to her.

I put my arm around my mother, hugging her to show I was sorry.

"Sorry, Mom," I apologised.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Mom whispered, looking up at me and hugging me back. "I'm just a little stressed, that's all."

"But that doesn't mean I shouldn't have said what I said," I told her, still feeling guilty.

"It's fine, honey. I understand if you're nervous about going to a new school."

 _Define nervous,_ I thought, but I held my tongue.

We broke our hug and mom's smile made me feel better – until a wave of a nausea overcame me.

"Nikki? Sweetheart?" My mom asked me worriedly, but her voice sounded muffled; _why was everything spinning?_

"NIKKI!" Mom shrieked, grabbing me.

I snapped out of my trance, and held back a yelp when I saw that my head was only a couple feet from the floor; I had slid off the stool and my head would have hit the floor if my mom hadn't grabbed me.

I straightened, sitting back on the stool, and held onto my mother, who also held me tightly.

No. No, it _can't_ be this soon. No, no, _no..._

"Nikki, are you all right?" Mom asked me, looking at me worriedly.

"I'm… I'm fine," I answered, biting down on my tongue. I must have bit down harder than I realized, as the taste of blood filled my mouth, tasting rusty and metallic, yet also slightly sweet and salty…

My vision tunneled. Blood. Blood everywhere. On my clothes and skin, in my hair, filling my mouth. Hot tears flowed down my cheeks as I screamed, but no one could hear me, as the room I was in continued to fill with blood, drowning me as my vision turned dark…

I gripped the bench, shivering. That scene… it had been from one of the first nightmares. Me remembering it, right now…

"Nikki, are you okay?" Mom asked me, concern on her face.

I breathed out harshly, holding back the tears as the phantom terror I had felt in that nightmare made itself known in my mind.

"I'm okay, Mom. Just had a dizzy spell," I answered her, suppressing the fear, what I had felt as the blood poured into the room, choking me, burning my throat.

My mom gave me a concerned frown.

"Are you sure? Nikki, dear, I could have you stay home today–"

"No, Mom, you don't need to do that. I'm fine. Really." I gave her a smile I hoped she thought was real.

Mom gave me another concerned look, but didn't say anything.

"Okay, if you say so… But if you feel sick again, go to the nurse's office and they can call me and I'll come and pick you up"

"I will, Mom. I promise."

A ghost of a smile flitted across her face and she stood up, ruffling my already-wild hair.

"Then maybe it's about time you got ready for school, young lady."

...

I _hate_ being the new kid.

While I was no stranger to switching schools, I still resented the looks I got. Students saw me as many different things. Fresh meat, an oddity, or someone to pity. For some schools, it was a once-in-a-blue-moon thing for them to get a new student. In others, they had transfer students every other week. No matter the scenario, I hated the 15-minutes-of-fame that every new student deals with. I wasn't a shiny new toy for all the kids to gawk at, and I definitely didn't need anyone's pity. The whispering was the worst part. I could always hear every word they'd say. I knew by the end of this week there would be rumours flying about the strange, pale new girl. The school's gossip-train was a never-ending, never-slowing machine.

I'd soon be branded as a freak.

 _As long as nobody finds out my secret, to hell with what anyone says about me._

I walked briskly beside Mom, as we headed towards the principal's office. They didn't know it yet, but I would be very well acquainted with this office by the end of my stay here at Casper High.

Once we found the principal's office, Mom knocked and we stepped inside.

It was a fairly nice room. It was decent-sized and had a couple of potted plants in the corners. A bookshelf was leaning on the wall to the right, filled with textbooks and a couple of classics; I even found a few mystery and thriller novels among them. In the middle of the room was the principal's desk, and behind the desk was the principal herself, Principal Ishiyama.

"Evelyn. What a pleasure to meet you in person! And this must be your daughter, Nicola," Principal Ishiyama greeted, smiling warmly.

"Likewise. And yes, this is my daughter, Nicola, but she prefers to be called Nikki," Mom greeted back.

"Of course, of course. Please, take a seat while I look over Nikki's documents just to make sure she's probably enrolled. Once I've done that, Nikki will be good to go!"

We sat down on two of the chairs in the office as Mom said gratefully, "Thank you, Principal Ishiyama. I know it's in the middle of the semester, and that Nikki's enrollment was unexpected-"

"It's quite okay, Ms. Winters. It'll probably take the staff and student body a while to get used to Nikki being here, but I'm sure she'll be happy here."  
 _As happy as being in a lion's den and covered in meat_ , I thought sarcastically, but I stayed silent.

I crossed my arms as Principal Ishiyama looked over my enrollment documents, tapping my foot on the ground to keep me from getting bored, my eyes roving over the room, trying to find anything interesting. I was thinking if I could ask Principal Ishiyama if I could read one of her thriller novels when I saw something more interesting.

Propped against the right wall, a few feet away from my own chair, was another chair. It probably wouldn't have caught my eye if I hadn't noticed the yellow sticky note attached to the back of the chair.

 _Reserved for Mr. Fenton_

"Why's that chair reserved for 'Mr. Fenton'?" I asked Principal Ishiyama.

Mom threw me a look for interrupting Principal Ishiyama asking her to sign a few of the papers. Principal Ishiyama

"That chair's reserved for Mr. Fenton because he's always getting into trouble," Principal Ishiyama answered. "The chair is just a running joke with the office. Mr. Fenton... Skipping class, being late to class, multiple detentions, skipping detention, cutting school, getting into fights, pulling the fire alarm when there's no fire, at one time starting a massive food-fight, even breaking thirty-four beakers!" The principal started rubbing her temples like Mom does when she feels a headache coming on.

"He's been to my office so many times, I think he knows it better than _I_ do. He's a troublemaker, for sure, and his teachers say he's barely passing his classes. And he's such a mild-mannered boy, very shy and awkward… I can't understand why he keeps getting into trouble, but he does."

"Have you called his parents, see why he keeps getting into trouble?" Mom asked Principal Ishiyama.

"Oh, I've tried. His parents are concerned, but just as confused as me. Mr. Fenton is a secretive young man. Him and his friends are very cagey and do anything to avoid questions. It's like pulling teeth trying to get any answers out of them. He's the opposite of his older sister. She's the most responsible student I've ever known, but she even dodges questions about her brother."

Mom leaned over to me and whispered, "You might wanna stay away from that kid."

Principal Ishiyama clapped her hands together. "Well! If you're done signing those papers, Nikki's enrollment is complete."

The door opened behind me and a woman wearing a light grey blouse, a black pencil skirt and black flats entered the room.

"And here is Ms. Peterson with your class schedule!" The woman handed me two sheets of paper, one pink and the other blue. She quickly left the room.

"You'll find your class schedule on the pink paper," Principal Ishiyama pointed out. "Your locker number and combination is on the blue paper, along with a supplies list."

"Thank you, Principal Ishiyama," Mom thanked as me and her stood up.

"It's no problem," Principal Ishiyama said back, before turning to face me, a kind smile on her face.

"Welcome to Casper High, Miss. Winters."

...

Meanwhile

Third Person P.O.V

...

"Come on, come on, come on-"

BRRRRIIIINNNGGG!

"Dang it!" a black-haired boy with icy blue eyes cursed, just a few steps away from the classroom where he had his first class in.

With a sigh, Danny slowly walked towards the classroom and entered.

The chatter inside died down as both the class and Mr. Lancer noticed Danny's late arrival.

"Ah, Mr. Fenton. Thank you for joining us," Mr. Lancer said, a frown on his face. "Where were you that caused you to be late?"

"I, uh… overslept," Danny answered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Mr. Lancer sighed. "That's another detention, Mr. Fenton. I'll see you after school. You can sit next to Miss Manson."

Danny nodded, taking the pink detention slip, and walked to the back, where he sat in the chair next to Sam.

She looked at him once before pulling out a piece of paper and writing a note on it before passing it to Danny, who read it.

 _Who_ _was it this time?_ SM

 _Skulke. He had a new weapon he wanted to try out on me_. DF, Danny wrote back.

 _He doesn't give up, does he?_ SM

 _Nope, he doesn't._ DF

 _You'd think by now that the "Ghost Zone's Lousiest Hunter" would have realised that he can't have your pelt, right?(P. S. That_ still _sounds gross)_ SM

 _I know, right? But Skulker's still determined to have my poet hang on his wall. He's gotta catch me first. (P. S. Yes, it still does)_ DF

Sam was about to respond back when Tucker whispered to Danny, "Dude, did you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Apparently, there's a new girl!"

"Apparently. It's just a rumour, Tucker," Sam cut in.

"Hang on, there may be some truth to it. Jazz said something to our parents that she was going to be a guide for someone new to the school. So, maybe there _is_ a new girl."

"That may be true, but who comes in the middle of the semester? I'll wait until I see it to believe it," said Sam.

"Yeah, but-"

"Mr. Foley," Mr. Lancer interrupted. "Care to tell the rest of the class what is so important to share with Mr. Fenton and Miss. Manson that it couldn't wait until lunch?" Mr. Lancer asked Tucker, a stern glare on his face.

Some of the class snickered as Tucker turned beet-red.

"Uhhhh… umm… it was… uhh… how interesting Shakespeare is?" Tucker answered, at a loss for words.

Sam and Danny groaned, along with the rest of the class, while Mr. Lancer brightened.

"Really? Well then, since you, Mr. Fenton, and Miss Manson are interested in the, how do you kids say it, _dope_ works of Shakespeare, you three can reenact a scene of your choosing from _Macbeth_ to perform in front of the class at the end of the week. If you perform well, then you will get out of doing the essay assignment." Mr. Lancer turned to the rest of the class."We have reached the end of _Macbeth,_ so you all will be doing a five-paged analysis essay!"

Mr. Lancer turned back to the blackboard to outline the criteria for the essay, while the other students whispered under their breaths about how humiliated the trio would be. Danny and Sam sent death-glares towards Tucker, who's face was still red.

…

"Nice going, Tucker! Instead of focusing on the report – that we will still probably have to do – we also have to reenact a _Macbeth_ scene at the end of this week, because Mr. Lancer thinks we're into Shakespeare!" Danny ranted to Tucker as he, Tucker and Sam, walked down the hall.

Sam and Danny were still ticked off about having to act out a _Macbeth_ scene in front of their whole English class.

"It was the first thing I could think of! How was _I_ supposed to know Lancer was going to make us do one of the scenes from it?" Tucker defended himself. "What, did you want me to say we were talking about the rumour of a new girl at Casper?"

"Point taken."

"Relax, Danny. I'm just as annoyed as you about doing this stupid play thing, but it could be worse; we could have been assigned this _and_ the essay," Sam pointed out.

"You've got another point there," Danny admitted.

The trio continued walking to their lockers to get their books for their next class, discussing which scenes they would be able to perform, until Tucker stopped in his tracks.

"Tucker, wha-" Danny started to say, when Tucker interrupted, "Look!"

Danny and Sam looked down the hall, and were stunned when they saw what – or, actually, _who_ – Tucker was gawking at.

He smirked when he saw his gothic friend's stunned look.

"Told you that there was a new girl."

Up ahead of them, just three lockers away, was a girl Danny, Sam, and Tucker had never seen before.

She had her back to the trio, so they didn't see much of her face. Just her curly golden-brown hair, her olive-green jacket, matching cargo shorts, and brown hiking boots. By the way she was slightly hunched over, she was probably grabbing her books for her next class.

Danny was about to suggest to Sam and Tucker that they should introduce themselves to the new girl when a high, whiny, accented voice said, "Guess the rumours _were_ right! There _is_ a new girl!"

The trio winced when they saw Paulina Sanchez walking up to the new girl, her entourage behind her. This usually ended badly for the fresh blood of the school.

Paulina smiled a snake's smile and said in a sickly sweet voice, "The name's Paulina Sanchez. Would you like me to show you where your next class is, new girl?" She didn't bother to ask for her name.

Paulina's entourage giggled under their breaths, and Sam was about to step in before Paulina could "help" the new girl, when the golden-brown haired girl herself said, "No." Her voice was strong.

That took everyone back, including Paulina herself. But the Hispanic girl quickly composed herself and asked, still smiling that snake smile, "No?"

"You heard me. No. As in, thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. I don't trust directions given to me by snotty airheads."

Paulina's entourage gasped, and Star, Paulina's best friend, exclaimed, "You apologize right now to Paulina, new girl!"

"It's okay, Star," Paulina said to her best friend, before turning to the new girl, her smile growing colder and crueler by the second.

"Let me tell you something, newbie. I'll let what you said so disrespectfully to me slide this time, because you're new, but next time I won't be so merciful. Because here, the teachers, the principal, and even the _janitor_ do whatever I ask. I am the ruler of this place." Paulina took a step towards the curly haired girl. "I can make your school life a living hell. I can end your social life before it has even begun. I could even have the teachers make sure you _never_ graduate with just a snap of my fingers." Paulina stepped away and crossed her thin, jewelry adorned arms. "But, you could avoid all that, by respecting me."

Silence, and then…

"Try me."

Paulina blinked, before she hissed, " _What_ did you say?"

"I said, try me," she repeated, before turning around to her locker, letting the trio see her fully.

She had really pale skin, and brilliant green eyes that burned like an emerald fire. A white bandana held back her wild hair. Her olive-coloured bomber jacket had black accents and underneath was a white shirt with bold, cursive black letters that read, " _ **I'm No One's Princess**_." She was a tad shorter than Paulina, but with that fire in her eyes, she seemed taller. The new girl turned to face Paulina again.

"I've met girls like you in my other schools; you think you can push other girls around because you're prettier and more popular than anyone else. Well, let me tell _you_ something." With that emphasis, she stepped forward, her boot leaving a dark scuff on Paulina's white shoes.

Star exclaimed, "Those are Jimmy Choo's!"

The green-eyed girl ignored Star and spoke louder. "I don't care how much money you have, how much sway you have over the students, how much power you have in this school. Because, when we graduate from high school, in the end it will be the girls who were never popular in school that will be the most successful. Popular, shallow snobs like you will end up either being B-list models, underpaid actresses, or prostitutes. So go ahead, make my school life hell. End my social life. In the end, I'll win."

Total silence, as everyone watched the showdown between the most popular girl in school, and the new girl who had the guts to stand up to her, while Paulina herself glared in fury, her face reddening.

"You think that little speech meant something? Well, it didn't. Whether it's school, or the real world, no matter what you say, _I_ will be the most pretty and popular one, and _you_ will be a freak!" By the end, her voice was wavering slightly.

"Better a freak than a fake like you, airhead."

Paulina glared at the new girl and was about to say something when the bell rang, signaling that class was going to start soon.

Paulina scowled angrily at her lost chance at humiliating the new girl before she threw the smirking green-eyed girl a murderous glare.

"You're lucky this time, new girl. Next time… next time you'll regret not respecting me!"

"With that said, Paulina turned on her heel and stormed away, her entourage following her like baby ducks following their mother. As soon as they were out of eyesight, the new girl scowled darkly.

"Have fun working the pole," the new girl muttered as she slammed her locker shut and marched down the hallway, head low… and she bumped right into Tucker.

"OUCH! Sheesh! Have the decency to move?" The new girl asked Tucker angrily, rubbing her hand before bending down to pick up her books. "God, first day and I'm already spraining my wrist."

Tucker, who had been in shock at the girl who had literally bumped into him and dropped her books like in the cheesy high school movies, snapped out of his shock and looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry about that. Here, let me help you," Tucker offered, bending down.

"No, I'll pass," the new girl rebuffed. "You've already done plenty." Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

However, Tucker had already picked up most of the girl's books and gave them to her. She wrinkled her nose.

"I said I didn't need your help."

"Well, I don't listen easily."

"Are you flirting with me? If you are, that's a really poor attempt at flirting. But kudos to you for trying, kid."

"Uhhh," Tucker stammered. But he quickly regained his composure. "I don't think we've introduced ourselves. My name's Tucker Foley, as in TF for 'Too Fine'. The most charming, and most handsome guy you'll ever meet."

The new girl raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with Tucker's pick-up line.

"Nikki Winters," she said as way of introduction. "I think the TF stands for 'Trying but Failing'."

Danny stepped forward and lightly pushed Tucker out of the way, in case he tried – and failed – to flirt with Nikki again.

"Sorry about that. Tucker flirts with every girl he sees. I'm Danny Fenton," at the mention of his name, Nikki shifted as if realizing something, "that's Samantha Manson, or Sam, as she prefers to be called –"

"Call me Samantha, and I'll break your wrist," Sam threatened.

Nikki smirked, as if saying, _Good luck with that._

"Anyway, I thought me and my friends could show you around Casper High. Maybe you could sit with us at lunch?" Danny offered.

Immediately, Nikki's smirk dropped, and her face went through a hundred different emotions before settling into an emotionless mask.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. I'm sure I can find my way around school," Nikki rebuffed Danny coldly. She thought for a second and added, her tone slightly warmer, "But I'll think about sitting with you, Sam and Tucker at lunch."

With that, Nikki walked away from them, gripping her books tightly, but when she was at the end of the hallway, she turned around, face red.

"Which way to the Biology classroom?" Nikki asked the trio.

"Hallway on the right, second door to the left," Danny answered, giving Nikki directions.

The curly-haired girl nodded in thanks and walked down the right hallway.

Tucker grinned. "That has got to be the _hottest_ girl I have _ever_ seen."

"I don't think she's interested in you, Tuck," Sam stated dryly, rolling her eyes. Tucker glared at her.

Sam smirked, before she saw Danny frowning.

"Danny, are you alright?" Sam asked him.

"I'm fine, but there's something about Nikki. Something… dark."

"Do you think she might be a ghost?" Tucker asked. Despite that he liked Nikki, he would not let that interfere if Nikki was a ghost.

"No, she isn't a ghost; my ghost sense would have gone off. And she isn't half-ghost like me; I would know. She's… something more powerful than a ghost."

"What could be _more_ powerful than a _ghost_?" Sam asked, looking down the hallway Nikki had just walked down.  
"I don't know, but we need to keep an eye on Nikki, just in case."

...

Well… do you readers like this?

So Nikki has met Danny, Sam and Tucker, but she certainly doesn't want to be friends with them. Will that change in later chapters? You'll have to find out…

Sorry if Danny, Sam and Tucker seem a bit OOC; I try to keep them in character as much as I can.

Guess Paulina has a new rival now, alongside Sam, in the form of Nikki…

Thanks to the awesome Aurora Marie Williams for beta'ing this chapter.

Please read and review! GhostWriterGirl out!


	3. Chapter 3

_**Frostbitten**_

Chapter Three: First Day Part I

It was just after midnight in Savannah, Georgia. A hunched over figure, most closely resembling a man, hid in an empty alley. He watched the street to his left, an ambulance wailing its siren, closely followed by two sheriffs and a small fire truck. It was too late. He knew they were already dead.

He had watched the light dim in their eyes until all he could see was a reflection of Himself in the glassy orbs.

He grinned.

In a fluid, gravity-defying jump, He landed on the roof of a civil-war era building. Stuffing His hands in His pockets, He surveyed the faint lights from the city. He knew they were gone. Probably hiding themselves in another town already. It didn't matter.

He'd just have to find them again. He always did.

And He would have some fun with the people they left behind.

"No matter how far, Nicola," He whispered.

Leaving behind a wake of screams and sirens, He disappeared into the night.

The search had begun.

…

 _Meanwhile, At Casper High_

...

Meeting with Ishiyama this morning had taken up most of first period, and after getting my textbooks sorted into my locker, being confronted by a self-absorbed witch, and inevitably meeting the trio I had spotted while on my drive through Amity, my mind was running rampant

Even though I had mentally prepped myself, I wasn't ready to deal with all these new people coming into my life.

One hour at a time, I suppose. And this hour was Biology. Science classes always made me feel like I was walking on eggshells. I had to be careful to make sure my secret wasn't exposed. It's a good thing that most of my partners never observed me too closely. Not close enough to notice the... _unusual_ things, anyway. I'd always considered myself pretty lucky in that aspect.

Today, however, my luck is beginning to run out. So it's official.

I _hate_ Biology.

I entered the Biology classroom and everyone quieted. Multiple pairs of curious eyes turned to look at me, and I shifted from foot to foot, feeling uncomfortable. I was contemplating whether to make a break for it or not when the Biology teacher, Mr. Falluca, according to my schedule, noticed me as well.

"Ah, Miss. Winters, welcome. Please take a seat," Mr. Falluca said warmly. He was an older man with graying hair and curious round glasses. He was dressed very smartly, and his desk he sat at was neat and organized.

I looked around the room – avoiding eye contact with anyone – and found a seat in the back. I dropped my books at the empty desk and slouched down in my seat.

I was grateful that Mr. Falluca didn't make a huge spectacle of me being a new student. It was hardly worth introducing myself to anyone when I would probably be gone in a couple of months.

My eyes were drawn to the whiteboard as Mr. Falluca began writing down book pages in green marker.

"Alright, class. We are continuing in the same unit with the same partners. You'll read this chapter, and when you are finished come to my desk to pick up your activity paper." Mr. Falluca held up a small packet. "At the top, you'll find a list of supplies you'll need for the activity. You know where to get them."

 _Well, damn, I'm lost_ , I thought.

My hand went up in the air, and Mr. Falluca called on me.

"Sorry, I don't have a partner for this," I mumbled. This was embarrassing.

"Right!" He addressed the class. "Can I have a pair adopt Miss. Winters for the rest of this unit?"

Silence. Just grand.

Then an arm went up in the air about three rows ahead of me. "Mikey and I will take her."

"You can join Miss. Gray and Mr. Sawyer," Mr. Falluca smiled, motioning to me to move up with my new partners.

I regathered my belongings and dragged my chair up the rows. It made a horrible screeching noise on the lacquered floor.

"Thanks," I muttered, barely looking up.

"Hey, I'm Valerie," the girl in front of me whispered. "This is Mikey." I saw a feeble wave in my peripheral vision. "What's your name?"

Hearing this kind tone from this stranger made me look up from trying to find the right page in my Bio book. And I immediately regretted it.

My least favorite colors, yellow and orange (like the sun), assaulted my eyes and made me wince. Despite the poor clothing choice, the girl's face was sweet and welcoming. She had turquoise eyes that popped against her dark skin. A tangerine bandana held back her jet-black curly hair. Curly enough to rival my own unruly hair. I could relate to that on a spiritual level.

"Nikki," I replied, averting my eyes from the eyesore clothes. I flipped through my book, huffing that I still couldn't find the right pages.

Valerie grabbed the edge of my book, her orange and yellow bangles on her wrist clicking together as she showed me where the chapter began. She scooted the book back towards me.

"So where did you move here from?" A shy voice whispered.

I looked up at Valerie's partner, Mikey, who was smiling weakly, like he thought I might punch him for talking to me.

He was very thin, his white polo shirt hanging loosely on his frame. His carrot-orange hair was parted down the middle, and behind his Harry Potter-esque glasses blue eyes peered curiously at me. This poor kid was probably used to being punched around. Even though I was annoyed with the unnecessary attention, I took it easy on him.

"Wish I could tell you, Mikey," I sighed dramatically. "But then I'd have to kill you." Mikey gulped and his eyes widened. I gave him a small kick under the table and winked. "I'm only joking." Relief flooded his face and Valerie laughed.

"How is your reading coming along, you three?" Mr. Falluca said, suddenly right behind me.

 _Whoops_.

After that we quieted down and speed read through the chapter. I was pretty familiar with the contents. Thermogenic... steady conditions... maintaining levels... blah, blah, blah. Soon everyone in the room had their packets, and I began to look over mine as Valerie and Mikey collected the supplies for the lab.

"Since everyone is finished, I'll go ahead and explain the packet," Mr. Falluca said, showing us blank tables on the second page. "For this lab, you will be checking each other's temperatures in comparison with the room temperature. We will be observing homeostasis in regard to how the body maintains a steady temperature even when the external temperature drops or rises. Remember to replace the sleeve of the thermometer before each use. We will record your body temperatures first as a control number. Then when everyone is finished we will adjust the thermostat to see how the body temperature changes. You may begin!"

I was frozen. God bless America. This was bad.

"Nikki? Hello?" Valerie was waving her brightly adorned hand in front of my face.

Mid-panic, I said, "I can't do this lab."

Mikey smiled and said, "Don't worry! It's super easy. Mr. Falluca usually takes these labs as participation points, anyway."

Not knowing how to get out of this, I simply nodded.

"Alrighty, you first, Mikey," Valerie said, putting a disposable clear tube over the silver thermometer. It's white corkscrew cord ran to a big display screen. Mikey seemed really nervous. "Say _ahh_ " Within a couple seconds the screen started beeping.

Temperature: 98.5 F, 36.9 C

"Write that down, " Valerie commanded, tapping the display screen with her pencil. I was still paralyzed with fear. "Me next." Valerie shot the plastic tube off the thermometer into the trashcan beside the desk and replaced it quickly. She held it out towards me. "Wanna do the honours?"

All I could muster was a, "Uh huh," that got caught in my throat and sounded more like I was choking. I took the silver tool from her, being careful not to touch her fingers, and placed it under her tongue. This time it took a little longer before the display started beeping.

Temperature: 98.9 F, 37.2 C

Mikey and Valerie quickly wrote down the temperature. I fumbled a little bit on putting a new sleeve on the thermometer. I handed it to Mikey.

 _Let's just get this over with._

Mikey was a little overexcited and poked me in the gums before placing the thermometer under my tongue. I waited... and waited... and waited. I shut my eyes tight. No beeping yet.

"I think this might be broken," Mikey frowned, tapping the screen. Suddenly it started beeping crazily. A couple of students from other groups looked our way. "Yeah, this thing is broken."

"What does the reading say?" Valerie asked.

Mikey scooted the display over to Valerie. Her eyes narrowed. _Damn. That bad, huh?_

Valerie picked up the display and shoved it towards my face.

Temperature 79.5 F, 26.4 C

I paled. "Mikey's right. Must be broken." I did my best to keep my voice from shaking. How had I never been put in this situation before?

"Are you a ghost?" Valerie questioned, bluntly.

Instantly, my tension melted. I laughed. "No, I'm not a ghost. You're ridiculous."

"This temperature is below hypothermic state." Suddenly, she grabbed my wrist and pressed two fingers over my radial artery, feeling my pulse.

"Your pulse is low; lower than normal. Are you _sure_ you're not a ghost?"

I scowled and pulled my wrist out of Valerie's grip. "For the last time, I am _not_ a ghost! I am perfectly fine! Now, are we gonna continue with this or not?!"

Valerie scowled, but complied and withdrew her hand to write down my temperature. Mikey looked fearfully at me because of my mini-rant.

"Relax, I'm not gonna bite you," I assured Mikey, while glancing back at Valerie, who had a suspicious look on her face.

If we continued these lab activities, they'd figure it out. I told them I wasn't a ghost. I could tell Valerie was a curious person, too. She would come up with something else to explain what she had recorded. I could only pray that she wouldn't discover the truth about me.

 _Could this day get any worse?_ I thought.

Someone should've told me a long time ago to not ask questions I didn't want the answer to.

…

As soon as the bell for the end of second period rang, I was the first to run out, desperate to escape Valerie's suspicious glares. Never had I been so relieved for Biology to end… well, except for one time, when I was a freshman, and the teacher had us dissecting a sheep's brain. Glancing at my schedule, I saw that I had P.E. next.

Goodie.

 _As if I needed any_ more _secret-exposing classes_ , I thought as I walked to Casper High's gym. _Stupid school. Stupid four year fitness requirement_.

My cursing stopped when a tall, large-chested blonde jock stepped in front of the gym door. He leaned against the frame casually, his leather white and red letterman jacket squeaking. His periwinkle-blue eyes flashed as he took me in.

"Hey, babe. Name's Dash. Where have you been all my life?" His alto voice almost didn't quite match his appearance.

I gave a warning glare to the jock, who gave me a grin that looked like it was supposed to be charming.

"Hiding from blockhead creeps like you. And don't call me 'babe' unless you have a death wish," I replied cooly.

The jock was taken aback, and he whistled under his breath. I trusted this guy about as far as I could throw him.

Bad analogy. I could throw him to the either end of this school if I wanted.

"Look, babe, I heard about you talking back to Paulina. Normally, I would be mad, but since you're actually really cute, I'll let it slide." He raised one of his thick, dark brows. He sauntered over closer. "So, babe… wanna ditch this period? You can have any part of me you want."

"Hmm, let me think about that." I tapped a finger against my chin a couple times before I smirked. "Thought about it."

About as fast as lightning, my boot connected with Dash's groin.

"OOOOWWWW!" he screamed, clutching the afflicted area. I grabbed a fist-full of his black crewneck and pulled him down a little so that he was eye level with me.

"That was just a warning, creep. Wanna hear about the last douchebag that pulled a stunt like that on me? Last I heard, he's still in the hospital in a full-body cast, drinking his protein shake with a straw. If you ever try to make a move on me again, I'll make sure they don't find the body this time. Got it?"

He nodded, tears welling up in his eyes, pain making him speechless.

"G-got it," the jock said, stammering a bit.

"Good," I said and let go, striding through the gym door confidently.

 _That felt good_ , I thought.

But all good things must come to an end, and gym was going to be _hell_.

…

What do you guys think?

Not much of Danny, Sam and Tucker, but we're introduced to Valerie! And it seems that Valerie and Nikki won't get along.

What do you guys think of Nikki kicking Dash in the groin for trying to flirt with her? That will teach him to not flirt with her ever again…

Anyway, gym class is next! What does Nikki mean of gym class being hell? You'll find out soon…

Thanks to the amazing Aurora Marie Williams for beta'ing this chapter!

Please read and review!

GhostWriterGirl out!


	4. Chapter 4

_**Frostbitten**_

Chapter Four: First Day Part II

As soon as I entered the gym, I made a beeline straight for the girls' locker room, hoping to get changed into my new gym uniform without anyone seeing me. Remember how I said I feel that I'm not as beautiful as my mother? That's amplified by ten thousand when I see all these beautiful, tall girls who had more colour to their skin and longer legs then me. They don't have to worry about getting their hair under control; it seems to just cascade and shine like it's been professionally done. I'd never admit this out loud, but comparing myself to the self-centered tyrannical witch known as Paulina Sanchez... Well. Even _she_ possessed more beauty than I could ever achieve. No amount of makeup was going to make this hot mess – light on the hot, heavy on the mess – compare to the rest of the girls in this school. I hoped and prayed that the girls' locker room would be abandoned as I entered inside.

My prayers went unanswered.

Inside, at least half a dozen girls were inside, chatting and gossiping as they got changed into their gym uniforms. One girl, who had carrot-red hair in a ponytail and braces, stood up and walked over to me, smiling kindly. She had a beautiful smile, braces or no braces.

"You must be the new girl. Nikki Winters?"

I nodded.

"I'm Amanda Wallace. Do you have your gym uniform?" Amanda asked me in a very girl-scout kind of way. It was sweet. But I wish I didn't illicit this much attention.

I mumbled, "No, but according to me schedule it will be in my gym locker, which is, uhh… Locker 13."

 _Great; my locker number is an unlucky number_. Amanda looked at me sympathetically.

"Locker 13, huh? That locker's rumoured to be _extremely_ unlucky. The last girl who had it nearly had her arm broken when the locker door clamped shut on it. And the girl _before_ that almost had her fingers grated off. And the girl before that had a bowling ball dropped on her foot when she opened it. So, I would say 'good luck', but considering what your locker number is, I'm gonna say 'best wishes, and hope you don't get hurt.'"

Scratch my last thought. My locker number is an _extremely_ unlucky number.

I laughed bitterly. "Trust me, Amanda, with _my_ luck, I will be sent to the nurse's office before gym is over, locker or no locker."

Amanda smiled at that, and left to finish dressing.

I waved goodbye before walking a few steps and turning to my locker, giving it my hardest death-glare.

 _Okay, Locker 13, listen up. I don't care if you're an unlucky locker, but I am determined to be as lucky as possible for as long as I stay here, so don't even_ think _about giving me so much as a paper cut. Because if you do, I'll make you into a mangled heap of scrap metal before you even know it. Got it?_

I might be crazy, thinking that my locker would be sentient from all this bad luck it was rumoured to have, but considering my secret, one can't be too paranoid, right?

The locker gave me no response, but as I opened it, I think I saw something black and shadowy crawl out of it, but I shrugged it off.

 _Must have been a spider_ , I thought as I grabbed my gym clothes and headed to an abandoned shower stall, changing behind the curtain.

I had just stepped out of the shower stall I had used to change into my gym uniform, having managed to beat my ridiculously curly hair into submission with a ponytail holder, when a familiar whiny voice said, "Well, well, well. Look what we have here."

I groaned as I looked up and came face-to-face with Paulina Sanchez. Paulina was smirking, arms crossed as she looked at me. Beside her was her blonde friend, Star, and another girl, all of them already dressed down. Somehow, the shallow witch had managed to make a school gym uniform look fashionable.

"Looks like the new girl is in our gym class!" Paulina exclaimed, smirking coldly at me.

I turned my back to her and walked past Star, not really wanting to get in trouble, in case this turned into a cat-fight. I promised my mother that I wouldn't get in trouble on my first day, and I _always_ keep my promises… no matter how hard they are to keep.

"What? No biting remarks? No fiery temper? Where's the girl who talked back to me and got away with it? I want to see that girl again so that I can show her who _truly_ rules," Paulina spat, still smirking.

"She's taking a break. I'm not her every single minute you're around," I responded, bending down to re-tie my shoelaces (I was horrible at double-knots).

"Or maybe she's scared, because she knows I'll destroy her in less than a second." My fingers tightened and my jaw clenched, as I tried to not react to Paulina's comment.

Paulina saw my silence as an opening for her to continue, her smirk growing colder and smugger, as she believed she was going to win.

"You're scared, aren't you? Because you know, despite your tough talk, that I could end you if I snap my fingers, that I'm popular and you're a nobody. That's why you haven't put on your tough-girl act now. You're _afraid_."

I blinked as I clenched my jaw harder, my hands in fists by my side. My knuckles were turning white.

"No response?" Paulina asked me innocently, and I could practically see her smug expression. "That's what I thought. Come on. We don't have time for scared little newbies who believe that they are tough enough to go up against me."

She began walking away, her friends following her, when I said, "You're right."

Paulina stopped in her tracks and turned to face me again.

"Pardon?"

"I said you're right," I repeated. I opened my fists and saw crescent shaped red marks in my palms from my finger nails. I clenched my jaw again, before relaxing it, and stood up, turning around to face her.

"You're right. I am scared. But not of you." I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself. _I must be going insane_. "You are absolutely _nothing_ compared to what truly scares me. You couldn't even _begin_ to imagine it. Something so dark, so dangerous, it would make your worst nightmares seem like a day dream. You think you people in this town have it rough. What, with _ghosts_?" I scoffed. " _Please_. I'd like to see what you would do staring at the face of the monster I see around every corner." Paulina gulped. "So, yeah. I'm scared. But it isn't you. _Never_ you."

Paulina took a few seconds to digest that, before she sneered at me, flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked away.

"Whatever, new girl," she muttered.

"And it's Nikki, by the way! Nikki Winters," I called after her, though I had a feeling she was still going to call me _new girl_.

I sighed and clutched onto my ponytail as if that would stabilize me.

Behind me I heard someone clapping slowly.

I turned around and saw Sam standing there, an impressed look on her face.

"I have seen some pretty brave things these last three years, but _damn_ , that was good," Sam laughed. "You have some guts, standing up to Paulina like that."

"Didn't you and your friends see the matinee performance before second period?" The question dripped with hilarity.

"Yeah, and that was pretty brave too, mind you, but admitting that you have fears... That's guts."

A ghost of a smile flitted across my face at the compliment. "Thanks."

"You know, you're different from what I expected. I thought you would be trying to suck up to the A-listers so that you could be popular too. But, you're nothing like that," Sam noted.

"Yeah, well, in the long-run, popularity in high school won't matter much in the real world," I said.

"Amen to that!"

I chuckled quietly, and then frowned.

"You're a Goth, right?" I asked Sam.

"Yeah," she confirmed, though I wasn't expecting any different response.

"I thought Goths weren't the chatty type."

"I could say the same for you, since you were pretty icy when we first met."

"Yeah… I'm not really much of a trusting person."

"I gathered."

We smiled at each other.

"You know, Nikki, it's good that you're different from the other new girls I've seen before. It's nice knowing that there's another girl besides me and Valerie who has a backbone and an independent mind."

"Thanks for the compliment."

Sam folded her arms and looked at me, her face curious.

"If what you're afraid of is darker and more dangerous than anything Paulina could _begin_ to imagine… then what is it?"

I was spared from answering that when a voice shouted, "ALRIGHT, YOU MAGGOTS! TIME TO COME OUT OF YOUR HIDEY-HOLES YOU CALL LOCKER ROOMS AND GET OUT HERE!"

"That's our cue," Sam frowned, walking beside me as we left the girls' locker room, glaring daggers at Paulina and Star as we did.

"Wonder what would happen if either one of those two ended up _mysteriously_ dead?" I asked Sam innocently.

"It would start a massive witch hunt, because their parents are filthy rich," Sam answered, also in an innocent tone.

"Damn."

We looked away from the two witches, and I noticed Danny and Tucker were in the same class as us, along with Dash. I smirked at seeing him still grimacing in pain every time he shifted his weight.

"Wonder what happened to Dash?" Sam asked, nodding in his direction.

"Oh, _I_ happened," I admitted with not even a hint of shame. "He tried to flirt with me. And then his groin ran right into my boot," I answered, grinning evilly.

" _Nice_!"

"Thanks."

We continued to grin evilly as we walked to the centre of the gym, where a lady who looked more like a man was waiting.

"That's Ms. Tetslaff," Sam whispered. "She's our gym teacher."

"She looks more like a man than a woman," I observed.

"Don't let her hear you say that; she'll have you doing push-ups for a month," Sam warned.

 _I don't think that would bother me_ , I thought, but refrained myself from saying it.

Ms. Tetslaff got us to work immediately. We had to run ten laps around the gym. Most of the other kids, including Danny and Tucker were lagging behind, while the jocks and Sam were at front. I was tied with Sam, making sure I wasn't at my top speed. Didn't need any more attention than I was already getting, being a new face in the school.

At the end, I was panting, hands on my knees. Of course that was all for show. Sam jogged over to me and said, "It's always hard on the first day, believe me. But, you held up pretty good."

"Thanks," I breathed, pretending to be miserable.

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP!" Ms. Tetslaff shouted, causing me to jump.

 _Does she have an inside voice?_ I thought as Ms. Tetslaff continued.

"WE WILL NOW BE DOING DODGEBALL! SO GET INTO YOUR TEAMS RIGHT NOW! BEOFRE I MAKE YOU!"

"Is she always this _loud_?" I asked Sam as we got into our team, which strangely consisted of only stereotypical geeky kids, Danny, and Tucker.

"Yep," Sam answered.

"Why are all the jocks and popular kids on one team?"

"Favouritism. Ms. Tetslaff and all the other teachers segregate the jocks and populars from us geeks and losers because the jocks and populars are the golden children, even though they're the major bullies of this school."

"What sort of messed-up school system is this?"

"Blame the school board."

"I most certainly will."

"We should start a petition to have the rules changed."

"Absolutely."

We grinned at each other, before turning to face our opponents. Dash caught my eye and he paled.

"Ready to do this?" I asked Sam.

The Goth girl flexed her fingers and gave me a shark-like grin.

"I was born ready."

We looked at each other again as Ms. Tetslaff blew her whistle, beginning the game, and we shared a silent message with our eyes.

 _This is gonna be good._

…

We destroyed them.

Figuratively speaking, though.

Me and Sam were an unstoppable team, grabbing dodgeballs and throwing them like they were active grenades. I made sure that my strength and speed were at the same level as Sam's. When I was aiming for Dash I didn't reserve myself as much, though. I wanted to get Paulina out first, but Sam told me it would be much better if she was standing there without the jocks and only Star to defend her.

And it was so, _so_ much better.

Now, dodgeball was over, and even though my unlikely partner, Sam, and I were exhausted, sweat rolling down Sam's face, we couldn't help keep the grins off our faces.

"Nice work!" I high-fived her.

"You, too!" Sam smiled. "Nikki, about when Danny asked you if you would want to sit with us at lunch… are you going to?" she asked.

I was about to answer when I heard someone shout, "Ms. Tetslaff!"

We turned and saw Amanda was lying on the floor, grabbing her knee. I made the mistake of walking over to the red-headed girl.

"Ms. Tetslaff, I grazed my knee," Amanda said to the gym teacher as she kneeled beside the braces-wearing girl.

"You alright, Wallace?" Ms. Tetslaff asked her gruffly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing that the school nurse can't fix, probably," Amanda shrugged, before pulling her hand back from her knee.

I had to fight back a wave of nausea.

Crimson beads were starting to appear. The rusty-copper smell made my head spin as I stood up, trying to hold my breath, but it was futile.

The smell was already in my nose, making my stomach churn with nausea. My head began to spin harder; why were there black splotches everywhere?

"NIKKI!" I heard someone scream – Sam? Amanda? Ms. Tetslaff? – and my vision tunneled, images starting to play in my mind...

...

I was trapped in a circular room. There were no doors, no windows, nothing. The ceiling spiraled up into blackness. Nothing could pierce that total blackness. I hugged the wall, my breathing becoming shallower.

And that was then I realized that the wall behind me was sticky… _and wet_.

I turned and choked back a scream. Streaming down the wall was a river of blood. I looked around wildly and saw more blood pouring down the sides. The smell of rusty copper became overwhelming and I fell to the floor, choking back sobs. Suddenly, something fell down from above, and a guttural scream was ripped from my throat when I saw what it was.

 _It's your fault_ , a voice hissed. _Your fault he's dead_.

"No!" I screamed. "No! I never meant to hurt him! No no no no…"

My screams dissolved into sobs as I curled up into a ball, the blood filling the room, drowning me, taking the body of the boy who had fallen from above out to the crimson, unforgiving sea...

...

"NO!" I screamed, my eyes snapping open. I felt arms around me and I started to thrash wildly, trying to free myself.

"Hey, hey! Nikki, it's okay! You're safe! You're safe!" a voice said to me.

I looked and saw the person holding me was…

"Tucker?" I whispered.

"Yeah. You alright?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

I looked and saw everyone was looking at me, worry in their eyes-well, save for Paulina.

"Wh-what happened?" I asked.

Danny, who was closest, cleared his throat and answered.

"After you saw Amanda's knee, you started stumbling around, moaning. And then, you blacked out. You would have hit your head on the floor if Tucker hadn't caught you. And then you started mumbling _no_ and that you didn't mean to hurt 'him'. And after that, you woke up."

I looked around at everyone. They were still looking at me with worry, but I was beginning to panic. I gently pulled myself out of Tucker's embrace and stood up, my legs wobbling slightly.

"Miss. Winters," Ms. Tetslaff said with surprising softness as she looked at me. "Do you want to go to the nurse's office? We can call your mom to pick you up – "

"N-no, it's fine. I'm alright," I lied, giving a fake smile that I hoped looked genuine. "I just need a minute outside."

I walked to the door, looking back to give another fake smile… and then I walked out the door. I looked around once to make sure I was alone before I sat down, my back against the wall as I buried my face into my hands.

It was getting worse. I knew it wouldn't be long, but why did it have to be this _soon_? Wasn't I already punished enough with these horrible nightmares for what I did in Savannah? Was it too much to ask for a break? But I couldn't; I _couldn't_. It was part of what I was, no matter how much I wanted to forget that part of me.

 _You will succumb to who you are_.

I hugged my knees and buried my face into them, sobbing silent tears.

Why can't I just be _normal_?

…

Gym was wrapped up with the remaining students shooting hoops. Everyone wouldn't stop looking at me when I joined them, and I had to stop myself from yelling at them to stop staring. After that, I had History, upstairs with Mr. Jones. He was way too excited about history, but I guess I can't fault him for that.

Eventually, when the bell rang for Lunch, I was the first one to rush out, not wanting to subject myself to staring at Mr. Jones' shiny bald head any longer. I made a beeline for my locker, where I put my History textbook, notebook and my other supplies in, grabbed the packed lunch my mom had packed for me and headed towards the cafeteria. I didn't need a guide to show me where it was, since everyone was walking in the same direction.

As soon as I entered, I immediately felt uncomfortable.

The tables were packed with the social cliques of Casper High; A-listers, nerds, geeks, athletes, the like. I knew I didn't belong in any of those cliques, and I never will as long as I was here. However short of a time that may be.

I was thinking whether or not to sit by myself when a familiar voice yelled, "Nikki! Over here!"

I turned in the direction of the voice and saw Danny waving me over, obviously wanting me to sit with him, Sam and Tucker. I didn't want to sit next to them, considering the last time I let people get too close to me. But…

 _It's either that, or sitting by yourself_.

With an inaudible sigh, I made my way over to the Trio, not knowing that this was going to be one of the most eventful cafeteria lunches I have ever had in the history of eventful cafeteria lunches.

…

Dun dun dunnnn!

It seems that Nikki and Sam are getting pretty close. But will that change when Sam discovers Nikki's secret? You'll have to find out…

Please read and review!

GhostWriterGirl out!


	5. Chapter 5

**_Frostbitten_**

 _Chapter Five: First Day Part III_

On a priorities scale from 1-10, making friends with Danny Fenton, Sam Manson, and Tucker Foley was a solid -3. I took my time heading over to their claimed lunch table as if by walking slowly I could make time slow down to give myself more time to figure a way out of this confrontation. Getting close to not one, not two, but _three_ kids on the first day of school? That was hugely uncharacteristic of me.

Unfortunately, time wasn't on my side, and I arrived at the Trio's table, despite my efforts to delay it.

Three sets of eyes focused on me. Danny and Sam sat huddled together opposite Tucker.

"Uhh... hey, guys," I greeted awkwardly. Did I mention how awesome I was at making new friends?

Danny flashed a smile at me, reacting to my smooth salutation, and immediately alarm bells began ringing in my head. Not tiny bells you find on the shelves at Goodwill or your house pet's collar, either. This was a cacophony of the ten bells of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Liberty Bell, and Big Ben all cracking together.

My fight or flight instinct went into overdrive. I had a massive urge to smash my lunch tray into the side of Danny's head. I clenched my jaw tightly and pressed my lips shut so that I didn't bare my teeth at Danny like a wild animal. My knuckles were turning white from holding onto my tray so tightly. I was afraid the fragile thing might snap in half. That would be a scene. I had trouble remembering if I'd ever faced a situation like this where I had to fight so hard against my _other_ side so strongly before.

Danny's smile had vanished, and he blinked his eyes. Probably stunned by my sudden turn of aggression. That's when I noticed something peculiar about his eyes.

Behind the welcoming aura, there was something... darker. Powerful. Looking past the blue that reminded me too much of the bright sky that I loathed, I saw horrors beyond this world. Danny seemed like the kind of person that had stared Death right in the face, said, _Come on, is that it?_ , and had gotten away with it.

Except maybe as though he'd taken on some of the death himself. Beneath his human layer, Danny seemed... dead.

My subconscious snorted at that. Like there could be a half-human, half-ghost hybrid? No. The world was already screwed up enough with the way I knew it.

But I still didn't feel safe.

"Nikki, you okay? You look really pale," Danny said, though he wouldn't meet my eyes. At least I'd won the Intimidation Battle.

"Uh..." That was my favorite word. "I'm good." I gestured upwards. "These lights are really bright."

Sam's brow creased faintly. Danny and Tucker both shrugged. Tucker patted the seat beside him, and without a word started inhaling his food.

I could tell by the way Sam was eyeing me that she hadn't forgotten my blackout during P.E. I wasn't a fragile china doll. While her intention was kind, it worried me that Sam might get too into my business. And the only thing I needed less than new friends was being exposed. She'd hate me and be disgusted by what I am. They all would.

On that happy note, I shuffled into the bench seat to sit by Tucker. The smell of the meat hit me before I realized what exactly I was looking at on the red beret-wearing teen's lunch tray.

"Why are you eating so much _meat_?" Most people would've said this in a repulsed tone. Me, on the other hand, I was impressed.

Tucker looked at me and proudly puffed up his chest while Sam scowled and Danny groaned, though I had no idea why.

"I'm a meat connoisseur, which means-" Tucker started, but Sam interrupted.

"He eats nothing but meat, which is _not_ healthy." Sam glared at his meat-covered tray and it was then that I noticed that Sam only had a petite salad on her tray.

Tucker snorted. "It's much healthier than eating grass, Sam."

"At least I don't eat the flesh of innocent animals!"

"Oh, that's right; you eat only _garbage_."

"It's _not_ garbage!" She yelled, but then smoothed the choker around her neck and calmed herself. "It's recyclable, organic matter."

"Is that what you call grass on bread and mud?"

"That was one time!" That didn't last long. "And I said I was sorry! But you don't need to eat only meat all of your life!"

"It's never killed me! And it's still more popular than eating vegetables!"

"Being vegetarian is a much more healthier lifestyle!"

"Okay, I'm lost. Why are Sam and Tucker arguing about meat vs. veggies?" I asked Danny, completely confused.

Danny had been lazily poking the chicken on his tray. Maybe it would get up and start clucking. He'd obviously heard this argument too many times to get involved or care.

"Tucker's basically a carnivore while Sam is an Ultra-Recyclo Vegetarian, as she likes to say." I caught the verbal eye roll in that. "Three years ago, Sam convinced the school board to change the menu to a vegetarian one for a week, and long story short, Tucker was outraged. The next day Tucker and Sam had organized rival protests outside the school. They eventually made up, but they still argue. It's annoying, but you get used to it."

I gave him a look. "That's all? They're arguing about which of their chosen diets is better?"

"Basically."

"Hmmm…"

"Nikki!" Tucker suddenly exclaimed, making me jump.

I turned to face him, and saw a pleading look on his face.

"Which is better: meat or vegetables?" Tucker asked me, in an almost desperate tone.

I shrugged. "I'll admit, I'm a _massive_ carnivore-"

"YES!" Tucker shouted in triumph, but I hadn't finished.

"But I also like to eat my veggies now and again," I finished, taking a bite out of the veggie sandwich my mom had made for me. Honestly, I didn't wanna think about meat after what I'd seen in my blackout in the gym.

It was only a matter of time before someone tried to make small talk.

"So, Nikki… where are you from?" Sam had been the person I least suspected to start Twenty Questions.

I carefully set down my sandwich, my mind already selecting careful wording.

"To be honest, I've moved around a lot," I answered. "I was an L.A. native. Up until fifteen years ago, my mom lived in the city of angels all her life. That's where she met my dad, too. Never got to know him since he died a week after I was born." I gazed up at my table mates through my lashes. "He was murdered, actually." A shiver ran down my spine.

Apparently, my chills were contagious because Sam and Tucker brushed the tops of their arms trying to warm themselves.

"When I turned two, we had to move because –" _a psychopath started hunting us leaving a trail of bodies in his wake_ "– my mom got a job in New York with a magazine. She's a journalist. Her job makes us move all over. We rarely stay in a town for more than two months. The longest we've spent in one place was when we lived in Transylvania with my uncle for two years in his hotel. That's the only time I've been overseas." I took a bite out of my homemade sandwich.

"Transylvania, you said?" The corner of Danny's mouth twitched. "Did you eat lots of garlic to keep the vampires away?" At the word _vampire,_ Danny mimed pulling a cape across his face below his eyes.

"Actually, Danny, I'm allergic to garlic."

"Oh," he shrugged.

Sam was the only one giving me odd looks now since during my whole spiel Tucker was stuffing his face with meat. Even Danny was starting to realize half of our 30 minute lunch break had already passed. He started showing more interest in his lunch tray.

A silence fell over us as we ate our lunches. Sam had been messing around on her phone for quite some time when her cold glare focused on me. Again.

"Nikki, how come your uncle's hotel isn't on any website?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"Why do you ask?" I returned.

Tucker snorted. "Yeah, Sam? Fancying an expensive soirée to Transylvania with your filthy rich family?"

I gaped at him and Sam's boot connected with his shin under the table.

"You know I don't like people boasting about that, Tuck." Sam's violet eyes flashed menacingly.

 _Reminder to self: Do not get on Sam's bad side._

"It's cool, Sam. I've had some modest rich friends at some schools I've been in. I can keep a secret," I assured her. "Anyway, to answer your question, my uncle's hotel is super-elite. Only a certain demographic can stay there." I said all this as nonchalantly as possible. "Besides, I don't even think my uncle _knows_ what the Internet is. He's like a thousand years old in that department." I couldn't help but laugh.

"After Transylvania, Mom and I moved back to the States. We just moved to Amity from Savannah." I pushed my lunch tray away. "So that's me in a nut shell. Any other questions?"

Without missing a beat, Danny asked, "How come you blacked out in gym when you saw Amanda's knee?"

Remnants of my sandwich left a bitter taste in my mouth. My stomach churned nauseously at the thought of... _Ugh. Push it away._

"I don't know. That's never happened to me before," I answered with a guarded tone and expression. "It was nothing."

That received skeptical looks from all three of them.

"That wasn't nothing," Danny replied, the corner of his mouth tugging down.

My gaze settled on some blue flecks in the design of the lunch table.

"Nikki," Danny started. I hadn't noticed him stretching his hand towards my bare wrist. "If blacking out has something to do with a bad memory or whatever, you can trust – "

His hand touched my skin, and several things happened at once.

I jerked my hand from his and he jerked his hand from mine.

I jerked my hand so sharply I accidentally sent my lunch tray flying, causing my sandwich to hit poor Tucker.

Tucker yelped and waved his arms wildly, temporarily blinded by my half-eaten sandwich.

Me and Danny both stood up abruptly, cradling our hands to our chests, as Sam looked at us in bewilderment.

I gave Danny a look of shock, surprise, and other feelings I couldn't name as he stared back at me with a similar expression.

"I-I have to go," I stammered out, already gathering my things and walking away. "Thanks for letting me sit with you; it was really nice. Bye!"

I scurried out of there so fast, it was like He was after me.

As soon as I was out of the cafeteria, I let out a shaky breath, before looking at my hand.

There was no mark, no injury, no pain from where Danny's hand touched mine, but what made me react that way wasn't anything physical… It was the feeling of absolute _cold_ I had felt when his hand touched mine. Like death.

When he touched me, an electrical current ran from my hand to my brain, triggering alarm bells that screamed, _DANGER! DANGER! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN, NIKKI! DANGER!_

But not only did our hands briefly touching send a shock of cold into my hand and my alarm bells to go crazy, it also generated feelings of loathing, disgust, wariness and hatred towards him. But _why?_

Why did _Danny,_ of all people, make the part of me that I wanted to forget so... angry?

It was a mystery that I would probably solve in due time… at the likely cost of my secret being revealed to Danny, Sam and Tucker.

…

Meanwhile

Third Person P.O.V

…

Danny was still holding his hand to his chest, trying to process what he felt when he briefly touched Nikki's hand.

"Danny, are you okay? What the hell was that?" Sam asked him, eyes full of worry for her friend.

"Yeah, you acted as if Nikki's hand had burned you!" Tucker commented, Nikki's sandwich now off his face, though there was a bit of mayonnaise dripping down the side of his glasses.

"More like _froze_ ," Danny mumbled as he sat back down. He let go of his hand, though he knew there was no physical mark of when he and Nikki touched hands.

"Froze? What's that supposed to mean?" Tucker asked as Sam inspected Danny's hand.

After her inspection of Danny's hand was complete, Sam frowned.

"There's nothing there that looks like Nikki's hand froze yours, Danny. So what did you mean, she froze your hand?" Sam asked him.

"Well, she didn't _freeze_ it in the physical sense. You know when I, y'know-" Danny looked around once to make sure no one was listening in before continuing _-"go ghost._ My body gets cold. Cold as the dead. That's what her skin felt like." Danny shivered. "She's not a ghost. She's not a Halfa..."

Sam's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. "This world can't get much more screwed up than ghosts being able to exist. Now you're trying to tell me that there's more supernatural crap going on?" Although she had tried to contain her frustration, the volume of her voice had steadily risen attracting attention from their classmates.

Paulina whispered to her clique, "Goth-Queen Meltdown Part One, starring Sam Manson."

Danny shook his head. "I don't know… but I don't know if we should trust Nikki until we find out what she is."

…

Later

Nikki's P.O.V

…

School passed by in a blur after lunch. Lessons seemed to fly, and before I knew it, school had ended.

I walked down the steps outside, trying to navigate my way through the huge crowd, my mind running through all the crazy scenarios I cooked up to explain why I reacted to Danny the way I did.

Maybe we shared more similarities than I had thought. The pale, cold skin... Icy eyes... Could it be? No. It _couldn't._

A huge smile spread across my face when I saw my mom standing next to our Subaru. I almost tripped running down the rest of the steps as I raced towards her. My arms flung around her, and I quickly buried my face into her hair. She smelled softly of lemons and orchids.

"Hey, baby girl. How was your first day?" Mom asked me, not mentioning the uncharacteristic affection. It wasn't cool for teens to dote on their parents.

"Oh, you know, the usual," I answered as I got in the car and started buckling myself in. I tossed my backpack haphazardly into the back seat. "Traded words with a shallow queen bee, survived seven periods of torture, made a couple of new friends and an enemy. Same old, same old," I answered casually, my tone flippant as I looked out the window.

"Mmm-hmm. And who were those friends you made, Nikki? By the way, I'm glad that you're making friends after… after what happened to Alex. It's good that you're not closing yourself off. It's not healthy."

"I know you're concerned about me shutting myself off to others, but I'm fine. I just had to… deal with it, in my own way. Anyway, their names are Sam, Tucker, and... "I winced, prepping myself for mom's reaction. "... Danny."

We stopped at a red light and Mom turned to me with a shocked and mildly angry look.

"Danny, as in Danny Fenton?" I nodded. "The same Danny Fenton that gets in trouble with the school a lot? The Danny Fenton with the reserved chair in the office, Danny Fenton? _That_ Danny Fenton?"

"Yes, _that_ Danny Fenton. But Mom, he's actually pretty nice and friendly. I don't see the big deal of why you wanted me to stay away from him."

"Darling, I don't have anything personal against him; I just worry that if you spend time with him, you might get in trouble, and… and I don't want Principal Ishiyama calling me to tell me you're skipping class and you're in detention every second day. It was bad enough when you were suspended in Houston for fighting."

"Okay, one, that cheerleader totally deserved it. Two, Mom, I'm already a magnet for trouble. I don't think me hanging out with Danny Fenton will change that one way or another."

"Okay… I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but I still worry. He may seem like a nice kid, but I don't want you to be dragged into trouble along with him."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I'm not gonna be dragged into trouble along with him. Trouble will drag _me_ into it."

Mom sighed exasperatedly, but said no more. Wanting to change the subject, I looked around… and noticed that something very obvious was missing to sustain this town's reputation.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Nikki?"

"This town is supposed to be the most haunted town in America, right?"

"Right."

"So where are all the ghost-"

I _had_ to open my big mouth and jinx myself.

Because as soon as I said _ghost_ , a huge mass of body crashed into the windshield.

…

Cliffhanger!

So Nikki grows closer with Danny, Sam and Tucker, but will that change when they discover her secret? And what was up with Nikki and Danny's reactions to touching each other's hands? You'll have to wait and see…

Please read and review!

GhostWriterGirl out!

 _Beta Reader Note: This chapter was edited by the magnificently_ ** _slow_** _Aurora Marie Williams. My apologies for keeping you readers waiting!_


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